The
guzheng, also spelled
gu zheng or
gu-zheng (, pronounced , with
gu 古 meaning "ancient"); and also called
zheng (
箏) is a
Chinese plucked
zither. It has 18-23 strings and movable bridges.
The
guzheng is a similar instrument to many Asian instruments such as the Japanese
koto, the Mongolian
yatga, the Korean
gayageum and the Vietnamese
đàn tranh.
The
guzheng should not to be confused with the
guqin (another ancient Chinese zither but a fewer number of strings and without bridges).
Playing styles and performers
There are many techniques used in the playing of the
guzheng, including basic plucking actions (right or both hands) at the right portion and pressing actions at the left portion (by the left hand to produce pitch ornamentations and vibrato) as well as
tremolo (right hand). These techniques of playing the
guzheng can create sounds that can evoke the sense of a cascading waterfall, thunder, horses' hooves, and even the scenic countryside. Plucking is done mainly by the right hand with four
plectra (picks) attached to the fingers. Advanced players may use picks attached to the fingers of both hands. In more traditional performances however, plectra are used solely on the right hand, reflecting its use for melodic purposes and its relative importance in comparison to the left hand which is used solely for purposes of ornamentation. Ancient picks were made of
ivory and later also from
tortoise shell. Ornamentation includes a tremolo involving the right...
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